“People, Let Me Tell ‘Bout My Best Friend” Exodus 33:12-23 and Matthew 22:15-22 October 16, 2011 First Christian Church Minneapolis, MN “I pledge allegiance to the Flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” That, of... Continue Reading →
Repost: “Progressive Christians” and Yours Truly
From June of this year. I've been noticing lately within Mainline Protestant circles, the rising use of the word "progressive" as a way to describe Christians who might have once used the term "mainline Protestant." The biggest change to note is over at the religion megasite Patheos, which changed the name of one of their... Continue Reading →
Occupy or Confess?
The whole Occupy Wall Street protests have been fascinating to watch. Even moreso is how Christians respond to the event. I know that there have been clergy taking part and other tweeting positively about the protests, which have now spread around the country. I'm not very sold on the whole thing. Yes, they are talking... Continue Reading →
Discipleship in an Active Age
Presbyterian Pastor John Vest wonders if we need to rethink what it means to be active in a faith community: As a downtown church that draws on individuals and families from all around the Chicagoland area, our youth ministry has always faced some interesting challenges. Our youth come from a variety of schools, so creating... Continue Reading →
Repost: Notes from a Reluctant Liberal Christian
The following post is from January of this year. I've been wanting to write more on this topic and hope to do so in the near future. For now, there's this essay. A few years ago, a dear friend of mine described me as an evangelical turned liberal Protestant. I remember blanching at that definition. ... Continue Reading →
Life, Death, Steve Jobs and the Future of the Mainline Church
Steve Job's commencement address in 2005 at Stanford University seems to be everywhere right now. A whole host of media are sharing quotes from that speech. Most of them are sharing this portion where he talks about death. I guess I'll join the throng and post that portion here: “No one wants to die. Even... Continue Reading →
Jobs vs. Shuttlesworth
One blogger wonders about our priorities in the wake of the death of a prominent figure: Fred L. Shuttlesworth, a pioneer and central leader in the United States Civil-Rights Movement died at the age of 89. His legacy, which included risking his life, being imprisoned, inspiring the work of others who received more credit —... Continue Reading →
Mission Statements and the Declining Church
About 15 years ago, First Christian came up with a mission statement. As far as I can tell, it was designed and then was set aside. As mission statements go, it's not the most exciting statement. We have toyed with the idea of working on a new mission statement for the congregation. Lots of churches... Continue Reading →
Steve Jobs 1955-2011
It's interesting to see the internet all abuzz about a CEO. I mean, in the popular mindset these days, we aren't supposed to like CEO's and yet everyone is talking about the passing of Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple. My partner, who is a total Machead, is pretty shaken about the news. But... Continue Reading →
Where Did All the People Go?
As I was sitting on the chancel at church this morning, I looked out into the congregation. The crowds were a bit thinner than usual, because many of the women were at a retreat. The average worship attendance is anywhere between 70-90 these days, which is pretty good. But then again, those 70-90 folks seem... Continue Reading →
The Clockwork Pastor 